Deana Weibel is chair of Grand Valley State University's Anthropology Department. She is responding to Ken Braun's June 5 column.

By Deana Weibel

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- In answer to Mr. Braun's concerns, including the placement of anthropology and archaeology on Forbes' list of "least valuable" majors, I would like to draw his attention to how Leith Mullings, president of the American Anthropological Association, responded to Forbes in a letter from October 2012. .

Dr. Mullings pointed out that while some professions, such as being an engineer, require only an undergraduate degree, careers in anthropology and archaeology generally require a graduate-level degree at the entry level.

Looking at the career prospects of anthropology majors with bachelor's degrees is a bit like wondering why recent graduates with bachelor's degrees in pre-med don't immediately set up medical practice.

Dr. Mullings correctly notes that anthropologists and archaeologists with advanced degrees "have a much better than average job outlook, with a 50 percent higher than average growth in jobs between 2010-2020 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics"

For students who don't wish to pursue anthropology or archaeology as a career, however, a bachelor's degree in anthropology is still very valuable.

Anthropology, which focuses on human societies, past and present, across the globe, looking at what they have in common and how and why they differ, provides a wonderful background for students seeking graduate degrees in medicine, law and business as well.

At Grand Valley State we've had many of our anthropology majors go onto graduate schools or straight into the workforce in a variety of disciplines.

What a degree in anthropology contributed to all of these careers is a set of skills that a recent survey of our alumni revealed: 93.9 percent of GVSU anthropology majors said they learned critical thinking, 90.9 percent mentioned increased cultural awareness, 75.8 percent commented on gaining effective research skills and 72.7 percent noted having gained effective and professional writing skills.

Our undergraduates get real research experience, in field schools, in labs, and while accompanying professors doing their own research in the field. They learn both within and outside of classrooms and we send them into the job force with a toolkit of skills and understandings that will help them in any career path they choose. By offering many General Education courses we make these skills available to other majors as well.

Bringing an awareness of cultural diversity into the business world is one of anthropology's growing strengths. Recently our department responded to an unsolicited request by a technology researcher and strategist from a major local business asking how anthropology can help businesses understand the social, cognitive and emotional impact of technology on people's lives.

In addition, a 2012 graduate of our program is beginning an advanced degree in business anthropology this fall and can look forward to a career focused on global enterprise or research into consumer behavior. An anthropology degree can make great economic sense.

We live in a world where our country's future, including financial success, depends on interacting with people from cultures different from our own. We trade with other nations, welcome and shelter foreign refugees, and find our food, entertainment and even our diseases frequently originating from overseas.

Anthropology majors, better than most, can make sense of it all, knowing how cultures change and influence each other across space and time. Anthropology majors have cultural competence. Forbes and Mr. Braun aside, it is a terrific major.